Pleione Tolima

Horticultural hybrid of the Orchidaceae family, resulting from the cross between Pleione formosana and Pleione pleionoides, obtained by Ian Butterfield in 1979. It inherits the general characteristics of the genus, namely flattened pseudobulbs gradually forming dense clumps at ground level, and a spectacular spring flowering preceding or accompanying the emergence of the foliage.

The flowers, borne on short stems, are a bright and vivid magenta-pink, with narrow and slightly recurved tepals that give them a very characteristic star-shaped appearance. The lip, wider, is fringed on its edges and marked with bright red spots and streaks on a pink background, creating a striking contrast at the heart of the flower. The young leaves, narrow and upright, with a green hue tinged with red at the base, emerge simultaneously with the flowers.

In cultivation, it behaves with appreciable robustness. Planted in a pot or in open ground in well-drained, humus-rich soil, it tolerates a wet winter without apparent damage as long as the drainage remains effective, and withstands temperatures dropping to around -8 to -10°C in complete dormancy. Flowering occurs in spring, in April-May depending on the conditions.